Ministry of Defence

Trident

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the actual cost of replacing Trident does not exceed the current estimated cost.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the rollout of the new submarines for the replacement Trident programme does not disrupt the Government's commitment to having a constant at-sea deterrent.

Harriett Baldwin: As set out in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, we are taking steps to manage the defence nuclear enterprise and ensure the Successor submarines are delivered to time and budget. As part of this, we have established a new Director-General Nuclear to act as single and accountable focal point within the Ministry of Defence for all aspects of the defence nuclear enterprise. We are also establishing a new submarine delivery body for the procurement and in-service support of all nuclear submarines, including the Successor submarines. We have deliberately moved away from a traditional single 'Main Gate' approach, to a staged investment approach with multiple control points. This will enable us to better regulate and control programme funding and delivery.The rollout of the Successor submarines supports the programme to maintain a Continuous at Sea Deterrent.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraphs 5.36 to 5.38 of the Cabinet Manual, whether the convention that a debate in Parliament should be held before troops are committed in military action applies to (a) the lethal use of armed drones, (b) military training and advisory missions (i) related to force-protection and (ii) where there is a risk of UK personnel engaging in combat in self-defence, (c) the use of special forces in long-term combat missions and (d) the embedding of UK military personnel in foreign militaries; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: This Government is committed to the convention that before troops are committed to combat the House of Commons should have an opportunity to debate the matter, except where there was an emergency and such action would not be appropriate. The convention does not apply to British military personnel embedded in the armed forces of other nations.

MOD Wethersfield

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to ensure that a minimum number of homes are constructed on MOD Wethersfield for local residents during negotiations for the sale of that site.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has committed to release land for 55,000 homes during this Parliament. Land at MOD Wethersfield is estimated to provide 4,850 homes. The allocation of these homes is a matter for the local authority and the developers who build them and not the MOD.

HM Treasury

Revenue and Customs: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if HM Revenue and Customs will end its requirement for hon. Members' case correspondence to be submitted by fax and accept such correspondence from a verified Parliamentary email account.

Jane Ellison: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have reviewed this requirement and, from August, will begin providing email responses to hon. Member Parliamentary email accounts when they contact HMRC by email.

Children: Day Care

Melanie Onn: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of self-employed parents who will be eligible for tax-free childcare.

Melanie Onn: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.160 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, Cm 9162, what estimate he has made of the number of families who will be eligible for tax-free childcare when that scheme is introduced.

Melanie Onn: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the merits of enabling self-employed parents to open tax-free childcare accounts before those accounts are rolled out to other families.

Melanie Onn: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reasons the tax-free childcare scheme will be rolled out to parents of the youngest children first.

Jane Ellison: Once Tax-Free Childcare is fully open, we estimate that around 2 million families will be eligible and that up to 1 million families may take up the scheme in ‘steady state’, including self-employed parents. Tax-Free Childcare will be launched from early 2017. To roll out the scheme in a safe and managed way, we will be gradually opening up the scheme to all eligible parents by the end of 2017. Parents of the youngest children, including self-employed parents, will be able to enter the scheme first - as childcare costs for this group are often the highest. Families with multiple children will be able to join the scheme when their youngest child becomes eligible, and at that point they will be able to receive support for all their qualifying children.

Pensions

Martyn Day: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the change in the value of the pound since following the EU referendum on private pension funds.

Simon Kirby: There has been some turbulence in financial markets following the vote to leave the EU, including a sharp adjustment to the price of sterling. However, markets have continued to function effectively, and we will continue to work closely with the Bank of England to provide stability and support to markets. HM Treasury does not make direct assessments of the value and funding position of private pension funds.

Foreign Investment in UK

Mark Menzies: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what tax measures he is putting in place to encourage higher levels of business investment in the UK.

Jane Ellison: I refer my hon Friend to the answer given by the Chancellor today in response to the oral question from the hon Member for Lewes.

Infrastructure: West Midlands

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support infrastructure development in the West Midlands.

Mr David Gauke: There are 40 schemes in the West Midlands in the infrastructure pipeline, with a total value of £7.6 billion. These include the £18m Midland Metro tram extension to Wolverhampton, due to open in 2019. Over 300 infrastructure schemes have been delivered in the West Midlands since 2010. HS2 Phase 1, due to open in 2026, will cut journey times between London and Birmingham by 35 minutes.

Economic Policy

Chris Law: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to update the Government's long-term economic plan in response to the outcome of the EU referendum.

Simon Kirby: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given by the Chancellor earlier today to the Hon Member for Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill.

Self-employed: Government Assistance

David Morris: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he is taking to help self-employed people.

Jane Ellison: To reduce the tax burden for millions of self-employed people, the Government has announced that it will abolish Class 2 National Insurance – paid by the self-employed – in April 2018. This will see 3.4 million self-employed people gain £134 on average in 2018-19. Self-employed people have also benefitted from the successive increases to the income tax personal allowance, with a typical taxpayer paying over £1,000 less income tax in 2017-18 compared to 2010.

Personal Savings

Edward Argar: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to support people with personal savings.

Simon Kirby: This Government has taken radical steps to support savers. From April 2017 the Lifetime ISA will mean People under 40 can use it to save for their first home and retirement and receive a 25% bonus from the Government. From the same date, all savers will also be able to benefit from the largest ever increase in the annual ISA allowance from £15,240 to £20,000 per year.

Bank Services: Fees and Charges

Gill Furniss: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to limit the level of overdraft charges for people in financial difficulties.

Simon Kirby: It is important that overdraft charges are fair and that customers can access clear information about overdrafts. The Competition and Markets Authority’s investigation into retail banking is considering the issue of overdrafts. The Government stands ready to take action after the CMA publishes its report. And we have already taken steps to support customers in financial difficulty. For example, truly fee-free basic bank accounts have been available since January 2016.

Home Office

Modern Slavery Act 2015

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish the implementation plan and monitoring framework for the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Sarah Newton: While there are no plans to publish an additional plan or monitoring framework, the Government has several mechanisms overseeing implementation and monitoring of the Modern Slavery Act and Strategy. The Inter-Departmental Group for Modern Slavery, chaired by the Hoe Secretary, publishes an annual report on Government work to tackle modern slavery. The Modern Slavery Threat Group chaired by the National Policing Lead, oversees the operational response. And the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner will publish his first annual report about the UK's response this Autumn.

Human Trafficking: Lancashire

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of human trafficking of women (a) from and (b) into Lancashire have taken place over the past five years.

Sarah Newton: Data on the number of cases of human trafficking of women a) from and b) into Lancashire is not collated centrally. The available data on the number and profile of potential victims of human trafficking referred to the National Referral Mechanism can be found on the NCA website:http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/about-us/what-we-do/specialist-capabilities/uk-human-trafficking-centre/national-referral-mechanism

Crime: Victims

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with police forces on policing strategies to help protect older and more vulnerable citizens against crime.

Sarah Newton: It is for democratically accountable Police and Crime Commissioners to establish priorities for their area based on local community needs and to set these out in their Police and Crime Plan.The Government recognises that older and more vulnerable citizens can be particularly vulnerable to a range of crimes from domestic and sexual abuse to fraud and organised crime, and routinely engages with police forces on improving the response to these crimes in line with the relevant Government strategies and programmes.

Hate Crime: Liverpool City Region

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of each type of hate crime were recorded in (a) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency and (b) the Liverpool City Region in each year since 2010.

Sarah Newton: The Home Office have collected information on the number of hate crimes recorded by the police since 2011/12 at the police force area level. The data for Merseyside police for each of the currently monitored hate strands are given in the following table.Number of hate crimes recorded by Merseyside police, by monitored strand, 2011/12 to 2014/15 1  2011/122012/132013/142014/15 Hate crime strandRace1,1071,0471,3581,653Religion302641119Sexual orientation13814119365Disability13411099186Gender-identity682522 Total number of hate crimes2N/A1,3181,6791,914 Source: Police recorded crime, Home Office   1. Hate crimes are taken to mean any crime where the perpetrator's hostility or prejudice against an identifiable group of people is a factor in determining who is victimised. For the agreed definition of hate crime see: http://www.report-it.org.uk2. It is possible for a hate crime to have more than one motivating factor (for example an offence may be motivated by hostility towards the victim’s race and religion). Therefore, the total number of hate crimes may be lower than the individual strands combined. Total number of hate crimes was not collected in 2011/12.Further information on hate crime can be found in Hate Crimes, England and Wales, 2014/15, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hate-crime-england-and-wales-2014-to-2015 Data for 2015/16 are due to be published in October 2016.This Government is committed to tackling hate crime. The UK has one of the strongest legislative frameworks in the world to tackle hate crime. We are working across Government with police, (including National Community Tensions Team), the Crown Prosecution Service and community partners to send out a clear message that hate crime will not be tolerated and we will vigorously pursue and prosecute those who commit these crimes.

Immigration Controls: Channel Ferries

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the UK Border Agency did not carry out any checks on vehicles crossing from Poole to Cherbourg on the ferry Barfleur on 23 June 2016.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Bombings: Birmingham

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the families of the victims of the Birmingham pub bombings will be eligible for funding to cover the costs of their legal representation; and if Ministers or officials from her Department will meet those families to discuss that matter.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Refugees: Social Security Benefits

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy, where a newly recognised refugee has made an application for welfare benefits during the statutory 28 day move-on period, to continue paying asylum support allowance to that refugee until their first welfare benefit has been paid, including in circumstances where that payment is a short-term benefit advance.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Asylum: Scotland

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department plans to take to ensure (a) that contractors who provide asylum seekers services comply with the Housing (Scotland) Act 2010 and (b) that such housing is with a registered social landlord.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

South Yorkshire Police

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with the Independent Police Complaints Commission on its decision not to make public the report into allegations of police misconduct at Orgreave in 1984.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Rebecca Coriam

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will provide a schedule of documents held by his Department that relate to the disappearance of Rebecca Coriam from the Disney Wonder cruise ship in March 2011 and the investigation into that disappearance.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Consular documents show that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office provided assistance to the Coriam family at the time of their daughter’s disappearance in 2011, and provided updates on the progress of the Bahamian investigation through the Family Liaison Officer assigned by Cheshire Police. We also facilitated the handover of a copy of the Bahamian investigation report to Cheshire Police.

Syria: Peace Negotiations

Natalie McGarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to help secure a lasting peace settlement in Syria.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Our goal remains a negotiated political settlement which delivers stability for all Syrians and a government with which we can work to tackle terrorists. The UK Government is clear that there can be no military solution to the Syrian conflict. Through our membership of the United Nations Security Council and as part of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) we are supporting the UN Special Envoy for Syria in facilitating peace negotiations between the Syrian parties on a process for political transition in Syria. These UN-led negotiations remain the best opportunity to end the conflict through political transition away from Asad to an inclusive government. We are also working to create the conditions for this by pushing hard for full and sustained humanitarian access in Syria, and working through the ISSG Task Forces in Geneva to maintain the Cessation of Hostilities.

Rebecca Coriam

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will provide a schedule of communications that have taken place between the Government and the governments of (a) Bahamas, (b) Mexico and (c) any other country relating to the disappearance of Rebecca Coriam in March 2011 from the Disney Wonder cruise ship.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Consular documents show that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office communicated initially with the Government of Mexico as the Disney Wonder was in Mexican Waters when Ms Coriam was discovered missing. We subsequently communicated with the Government of the Bahamas. As the ship’s flag state, the Bahamian Government was responsible for the investigation into Ms Coriam’s disappearance.

Bangladesh: Politics and Government

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) extent of protection of human rights and (b) operation of the democratic process in Bangladesh.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Holding answer received on 18 July 2016



The Government are concerned about protection for human rights in Bangladesh. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has named Bangladesh as one of its 30 Human Rights Priority Countries. Where credible allegations of abuses are made, we regularly raise them with the Government of Bangladesh. In particular we condemn all forms of violence and excessive use of force, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and attacks against secularists and religious minorities. We make clear our opposition to the death penalty.

Kashmir: Politics and Government

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the governments of (a) India and (b) Pakistan on the current situation in Kashmir.

Alok Sharma: The former Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) was deeply saddened by recent reports of unrest in Kashmir, and offered his condolences to the victims and their families. Our High Commission in Delhi is monitoring the situation closely and we have updated our travel advice. The Pakistani Foreign Secretary briefed our High Commissioner along with other P5 Ambassadors on Pakistan’s views on the current situation in Kashmir on 12 July.

International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the UK representatives appointed to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the UK's representatives on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance were appointed and to whom they report.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

UK Withdrawal from EU: Scotland

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on whether article 50 of the Treaty on the functioning of the EU enables the EU to negotiate separately with the Scottish Government towards a different agreement to that which applies to the rest of the UK.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans the Government has for parliamentary scrutiny of the work of the UK's representatives on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance; and if he will list the (a) dates and (b) means by which its decisions have been reported to Parliament during 2016.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for International Development

Syria: Education

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress has been made on implementing pledges on child education made in the Supporting Syria Conference held in the UK in February 2016; and if she will make a statement.

Rory Stewart: The UK has been working closely with the UN, other donors and refugee hosting countries to deliver increased enrolment in formal and informal education. The UK is on track to deliver on its Conference commitments to support education, including spending £40million a year on education in Lebanon and £20million a year in Jordan. We will continue to work closely with these partners to track progress, including on enrolment in the upcoming school year.The UK is supporting the provision of informal and formal education opportunities to 1.1m children in Syria and the region. In addition, the UK has financed the provision of 350,000 children in Lebanon with textbooks, including over 100,000 Syrian refugee children in Lebanese public schools.

Department for Education

Overseas Students: EU Nationals

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to reassure European students studying abroad in Britain that the outcome of the EU referendum will not lead to changes to the tuition fee arrangements of those students.

Joseph Johnson: The law determining eligibility for student finance is unchanged. EU nationals who have resided in the EEA for at least three years are granted “home” fee status for the duration of their courses. This is the case for all eligible EU nationals currently studying in English universities, and for those beginning courses in the 2016/17 Academic year.

Primary Education: Sports

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will take steps to ensure that new investment in the Primary PE and Sport Premium directly benefits (a) the least active children and (b) children from poorer socio-economic backgrounds.

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the effect on children's fitness and activity levels of the Primary PE and Sport Premium.

Edward Timpson: We want all pupils to be healthy and active. We have ring-fenced over £450 million to improve PE and sport in primary schools (2013/14 - 2015/16), and committed to doubling the primary PE and sport premium to £320 million a year from September 2017 using revenue from the soft drinks industry levy. Schools have the freedom to decide how to use the funding based on the needs of their pupils, and can choose to target funding on the least active and children from poorer socio-economic backgrounds. Schools are accountable for their spending through Ofsted inspections and are required to report plans and impact online.We have evaluated the impact and schools’ use of the premium through the independent research company, NatCen. Evidence indicates the funding is having a positive impact and schools reported almost universally that the PE and sport premium had had a positive impact on physical fitness (99%), healthy lifestyles (99%), skills (98%) and behaviour of pupils (96%).[1].We are currently exploring options for future evaluation once the premium is doubled. Further details will be announced in due course. [1] Evidence from the 2015 report, based on findings of a two year study between 2013 – 2015: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pe-and-sport-premium-an-investigation-in-primary-schools

Schools: Finance

Mr Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to publish the findings of the first phase of its consultation on a national schools funding formula; and when the second phase of that consultation is planned to commence.

Edward Timpson: We received a high number of responses to the first stage of our consultation on the principles and building blocks of the schools national funding formula. Those will inform our detailed proposals for the design of the formula, which we will put forward later this year. We must allow appropriate time to consider what would be significant reforms, and we remain committed to introducing the formula from 2017-18 so that schools can start to benefit from fairer funding as soon as possible.

Schools: Yorkshire and the Humber

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will estimate the number of school places that will be available in Yorkshire and Humber in each of the next five years.

Edward Timpson: The department collects information from each local authority (LA) on the current number of school places and LA’s firm plans for the delivery of additional places over the next three years, through the annual school capacity survey (SCAP).As at May 2015 there were 475,707 primary places and 375,888 secondary places at maintained mainstream schools across Yorkshire and Humber. At that point in time LAs across Yorkshire and Humber reported they had firm plans for delivery of an additional 17,919 places by 2017/18. The number of new places for which LAs have firm plans for delivery, through academic years 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18 is available in table A7 of the attached and is available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-capacity-academic-year-2014-to-2015The data represents a snapshot in time and LAs will have delivered and developed plans for many more new places since.

Higher Education: Redcar and Cleveland

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many school leavers in Redcar and Cleveland who were (a) entitled and (b) not entitled to free school meals went to university in the last three years for which information is available.

Edward Timpson: The table below shows information on the number and percentage of students completing key stage 5 (e.g. A level) study in mainstream state funded schools and colleges and progressing to study at a UK Higher Education Institution for at least two terms the following year; in each of the last three years for which information is available.Numbers of pupils are shown rounded to the nearest ten, as published. Percentages are calculated on unrounded figures.In the latest year around 50 students in Redcar & Cleveland who had been eligible for free school meals in year 11, or 55% of the key stage 5 cohort, progressed to Higher Education. This compares with 38% of pupils elsewhere in the North East and 44% of free school meal eligible students nationally.In the latest year around 490 students in Redcar & Cleveland who had not been recorded as eligible for free school meals in year 11, or 55% of the key stage 5 cohort, progressed to Higher Education. This compares with 51% of pupils elsewhere in the North East and 49% of non-eligible students nationally.Information on pupil destinations is published annually on gov.uk at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-destinationsStudents with sustained destinations at UK Higher Education Institutions, mainstream state-funded schools and colleges, 2011/2 to 2013/14Redcar & ClevelandNumber of students completing KS5 (rounded to nearest 10)Number at UK Higher Education Institution (rounded to nearest 10)% at UK Higher Education Institution (calculated on unrounded figures)FSMNon-FSMFSMNon-FSMFSMNon-FSM2013/14 (2012/13 KS5 cohort)1008805049055%55%2012/13 (2011/12 KS5 cohort)1008504049040%57%2011/12 (2010/11 KS5 cohort)807804049053%62%North EastNumber of students completing KS5 (rounded to nearest 10)Number at UK Higher Education Institution (rounded to nearest 10)% at UK Higher Education Institution (calculated on unrounded figures)FSMNon-FSMFSMNon-FSMFSMNon-FSM2013/14 (2012/13 KS5 cohort)1,75015,4306607,92038%51%2012/13 (2011/12 KS5 cohort)1,56014,4505507,25036%50%2011/12 (2010/11 KS5 cohort)1,37014,6105107,93037%54%EnglandNumber of students completing KS5 (rounded to nearest 10)Number at UK Higher Education Institution (rounded to nearest 10)% at UK Higher Education Institution (calculated on unrounded figures)FSMNon-FSMFSMNon-FSMFSMNon-FSM2013/14 (2012/13 KS5 cohort)35,390323,58015,550157,22044%49%2012/13 (2011/12 KS5 cohort)31,670314,12014,140150,30045%48%2011/12 (2010/11 KS5 cohort)28,770306,72013,540163,01047%53%

Children in Care: Mental Health

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the merits of the recommendation in the Fourth report of the Education Committee, Session 2015-16, HC 481, that all looked-after children should have a mental health assessment carried out by a mental health professional.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the recommendations of the Fourth Report of the Education Committee of Session 2015-16, Mental health and well-being of looked-after children, published on 28 April 2016.

Edward Timpson: The Government response to the Education Committee report into the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Looked-After Children is being jointly drafted by the Department of Health and the Department for Education. Ministers in both departments are assessing the recommendations in their entirety and the joint response, expected to be published after recess, reflects the importance that both departments place on joint working to meet the needs of this vulnerable group.The Department of Health and the Department for Education have already established an Expert Working Group to consider how to improve the mental health and well-being of looked-after children, children adopted from care, care leavers and children leaving care under a special Guardianship Order or Child Arrangements Order. The Expert Working Group will include a focus on assessment and identification of mental health issues and difficulties.The group, co-chaired by Professor Peter Fonagy, Freud Memorial Professor of Psychoanalysis, University College London, and Alison O’Sullivan, former president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, first met on 11 July 2016. Meeting notes, Terms of Reference and a work programme will shortly be available on the website of the Social Care Institute for Excellence (http://www.scie.org.uk/) which are co-ordinating the work of this group.

Ministry of Justice

Coroners

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what representations he has received from minority faith groups since July 2013 on the availability of coroners at all times.

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the availability of coroners at all times to address matters which must be dealt with immediately under the provisions of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.

Dr Phillip Lee: Justice Ministers have received representations from the Jewish and Muslim communities about coroners out of hours’ services and have met representatives from these communities. We recognise the importance of an out of hours service and have worked with the police and local authorities to this end. Regulation 4 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013 requires coroners to be available at all times to address matters relating to an investigation into a death which must be dealt with immediately and cannot wait until the next working day. This is particularly important in cases of homicide and mass fatalities. Coroners also make themselves available if needed in cases involving organ and tissue donation.

Coroners: Reform

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress his Department has made on preparing a response to the consultation on the post-implementation review of the coroner reforms in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) former and (b) current coroners responded to the consultation on the post-implementation review of the coroner reforms in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.

Dr Phillip Lee: The post-implementation review of the coroner reforms consultation closed on 31 December 2015. A response to the consultation will be published in due course. We received 214 responses to the review from current coronial officer holders. No respondents indicated that they were former coroners.

Bill of Rights

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the timetable is for the introduction of proposals for a British Bill of Rights.

Sir Oliver Heald: We will set out our proposals for a Bill of Rights in due course. We will fully consult on our proposals.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appeals have been granted in a claimant's favour following an assessment prior to a transfer from disability living allowance to personal independence payments.

Sir Oliver Heald: Between April 2013, when the Personal Independence Payment was introduced, and March 2016, there were 9,774 reassessment appeals which found in favour of the appellant.

Human Rights Act 1998

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans she has for reform of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Sir Oliver Heald: We will set out our proposals for a Bill of Rights in due course. We will fully consult on our proposals.

Employment Tribunals Service: Fees and Charges

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when her Department plans to publish its review of employment tribunal fees.

Sir Oliver Heald: We expect to announce the conclusion of the review of Employment Tribunals fees in due course.

Judicial Review: Reform

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans she has for reform of judicial review.

Sir Oliver Heald: The government remains clear that judicial review, when used properly, is a crucial component of the rule of law. But too often the system is open to abuse, and that is why we have taken forward reform. These changes include creating the Planning Court, in which significant challenges are considered by judges with planning expertise to time targets, and sections of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015, such as allowing appeals of national significance to more often move direct to the Supreme Court, reducing the potential for delay. A number of the outstanding reforms will take effect in due course, and the government is currently seeking further views on proposals for providing the courts with information on how judicial review applications are being funded.

Scotland Office

Trade Unions: Scotland

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many meetings he has had in the last six months with (a) Scottish Trades Union Congress and (b) affiliated trade unions; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: Details of meetings with external organisations are published in quarterly returns which are available at gov.uk.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Art Works: Redcar and Cleveland

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many works of art from public collections were loaned to institutions in Redcar and Cleveland in each year since 2010.

Matt Hancock: The Department does not hold information about loans made from public collections. The national museums and galleries have responsibility for their specific loan arrangements and information about their loans is not held centrally.   All Government funded museums and galleries are encouraged to loan works from their collections to institutions across the UK.Sponsored National Museums actively support and partner regional museums, which includes touring and large scale loans. In 2014/15 the national museums and galleries loaned items to 1,629 venues, including regional museums and historic houses. A new tax relief for museums and galleries will be introduced from 1 April 2017 to encourage them to develop creative new exhibitions and display their collections across the country. The relief will be available on qualifying costs for temporary and touring exhibitions. An independent report by Lord Heseltine, published in June, makes recommendations to further develop the Tees Valley area. The report called Tees Valley: Opportunity Unlimited has strong arts and cultural content and says the area hosts public art of national significance. The report also highlights the strengths of museums and galleries in the region, which include the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MiMA), the MOD funded Museum of the Royal Navy’s HMS Trincomalee in Hartlepool, the "Head of Steam" Railway Museum in Darlington and the Science Museum Group’s Locomotion branch at Shildon near Darlington. MiMa is a Tate Plus partner and has strong links with Tate Modern. It receives funding from Arts Council England as a Visual Arts Gallery. The Government is also funding £500k towards the development of a new Captain Cook exhibition resource at the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum in Middlesbrough.

Department for Work and Pensions

Local Housing Allowance

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will make an assessment of the effect of the local housing allowance cap on (a) people claiming that allowance in Bermondsey and Old Southwark constituency and (b) local authority finances.

Caroline Nokes: This measure will be introduced in April 2018, where new tenancies have been taken out or existing tenancies renewed from 1 April 2016 (or 1 April 2017 for supported housing). Full impact and equality impact assessments will be undertaken in due course.

Children: Poverty

Natalie McGarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of (a) benefit sanctions, (b) work capability assessments and (c) other government welfare reforms on child poverty in (i) Glasgow and (ii) Scotland.

Damian Hinds: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer to question 905768 which was provided by Justin Tomlinson MP, the Minister for Disabled People at that time, which can be found at:https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2016-07-11/debates/1607114000024/WelfareReformEffectsOnPeopleWithDisabilitiesInScotland#contribution-1607114000168

Personal Independence Payment

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many assessments of claimants transferring between disability living allowance and personal independence payments have been made in the last five years.

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants have been transferred from disability living allowance to personal independence payments in the last three years.

Penny Mordaunt: Information on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) clearances by type (e.g. awarded/disallowed after or before referral to the assessment provider or withdrawn), for both new claims and reassessed claims (for those previously in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)), is published on Gov.UK: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.ukGuidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.

Personal Income

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to ensure that his Department undertakes research into the potential merits of a universal basic income.

Damian Hinds: We have no current plans to conduct research on this topic.

Personal Independence Payment

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to ensure consistency in the length of intervals between awards of personal independence payments.

Penny Mordaunt: The assessment for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is designed to treat people as individuals, considering the impact of their impairment or health condition on their everyday life and how each claimant has personally adapted to living with a disability. The length of an award for PIP is based on the needs of the individual claimant and whether these are likely to change in the future, as a result, for example, of treatment or changes in their health condition. The Department monitors all aspects of the PIP application process including the performance of the assessment providers, Atos Healthcare and Capita. The reports of Health Professionals who carry out assessments are subject to quality audit, to ensure accurate advice on the best time to review a case based on a claimant’s individual circumstances. The PIP Assessment Guide for Health Professionals carrying out assessments includes guidance on how to determine the length of an award – Section 2.9 Prognosis (page 54) and 2.10 Review dates (page 56). This guidance can be accessed on the gov.uk website:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/449043/pip-assessment-guide.pdf There is also guidance and information for DWP decision makers on how best to establish the length of an award.

Work Capability Assessment

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department takes to ensure that the level of functional impairment is adequately assessed to provide appropriate support for a claimant to obtain employment.

Penny Mordaunt: The Department introduced the independent audit of Work Capability Assessments in March 2015 in line with the start of the new Health and Disability Assessment Service contract. Audit has a central role in confirming that independent health professional advice complies with the required standards and that it is clear and medically reasonable. It also provides assurance that any approach to assessment and opinion given is consistent so that, irrespective of where or by whom the assessment is carried out, claimants with conditions that have the same functional effect will ultimately receive the same benefit outcome.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Dr Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of extending the Shared Accommodation Rate to social rented housing on the ability of single people under the age of 35 to access general needs social rented housing.

Caroline Nokes: Full impact and equality impact assessments will be undertaken in due course. Single people under 35 will be exempt from the Shared Accommodation Rate if they fall into one of the categories below:They have children or a non-dependent living with them;They qualify for a severe disability premium;If they have left care and are under the age of 22;If they have an extra bedroom for a non-resident carer providing overnight care;If they are a foster carer;They are aged 25 to 34 years old and have spent at least 3 months in a homeless hostel or hostel specialising in rehabilitation and resettlement;They are aged 25 to 34 years old who are an ex-offender managed under a multi-agency MAPPA agreement.For those who are not covered by these exemptions, they will be able to apply for Discretionary Housing Payments if they need help meeting the shortfall in their rent.

State Retirement Pensions

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the payment of pension part weeks to cover the period when recipients reach state pension age.

Richard Harrington: The new State Pension is payable from the date a person reaches State Pension age until the date of their death. These arrangements form a part of the changes introduced by the Pensions Act 2014 for people who reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016.

Social Security Benefits: Liverpool City Region

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people receive benefit and pension payments by Simple Payments in the Liverpool City Region.

Richard Harrington: The current number of people that receive their benefit or pension payments by Simple Payment in the Liverpool City Region is 1,399.

Bakeries: Asthma

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what advice and guidance he has received from the Health and Safety Executive on reducing the level of occupational asthma in the baking industry.

Penny Mordaunt: As the Minister with the responsibility for health and safety, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is focused on improving health outcomes in the food industry by working with stakeholders to implement a five year food manufacturing national strategy (2016-21) and this includes reducing cases of occupational asthma in bakeries and allied premises.HSE is also inspecting bakeries and allied food manufacturing premises to determine how effectively worker exposure to flour dust is controlled.

Whooping Cough: Vaccination

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2016 to Question 42446, how many people have (a) claimed and (b) received payment under the vaccine damages payment scheme where one of the vaccines cited in the claim was one used for whooping cough.

Penny Mordaunt: Since the inception of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, 4236 claims have been made where whooping cough is amongst the vaccines cited on the claim form. Of those, 710 resulted in an award. The figures include claims where whooping cough was administered as a single vaccination or as part of a combined vaccine e.g. DTaP/IPV (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis/Whooping Cough and Polio). As previously advised it is not possible to state how many, if any, of the claims listed above were made specifically in relation to whooping cough.

Department for Work and Pensions: Public Expenditure

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the recommendations concerning austerity measures in paragraph 19 of the UN Economic and Social Council report entitled, Concluding observations on the sixth periodic report of the United Kingdom and Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 24 June 2016.

Damian Hinds: The Government regularly assesses the impacts of its policies and will continue to do so.The Government’s economic plan is delivering jobs for the UK. Our reforms, including the introduction of the National Living Wage, are helping to transform the life chances of people across the country.

Work Programme: Glasgow

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which companies are currently participating in the Work Programme in Glasgow; and what work experience each of those companies offers to benefit claimants.

Damian Hinds: The Work Programme prime providers that cover Glasgow are Ingeus and Working Links. They have complete freedom to innovate and design support based on individual and local need. That support can take many forms, including learning new skills, work experience and developing job hunting techniques. As prime providers they have the freedom to use a network of local specialist organisations to deliver tailored support to the individual.

Social Security Benefits: Glasgow

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claimants were sanctioned more than once in (a) Glasgow South West constituency and (b) Glasgow in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14, (iv) 2014-15 and (v) 2015-16.

Damian Hinds: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.Information on Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanction decisions, by cumulative frequency and geography, is available here: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started---SuperWEB2.html

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bees: Diseases

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support beekeepers whose colonies are at risk from notifiable diseases.

George Eustice: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, on 12 July 2016, PQ UIN 41793.

Bees: Diseases

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many inspectors are employed by her Department to monitor the health of bee colonies across the UK.

George Eustice: The National Bee Unit (NBU), part of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), currently employs 1 National Bee Inspector, 7 Regional Bee Inspectors and 45 part-time, seasonal Bee Inspectors to monitor honey bee health in England. All Seasonal Bee Inspectors are employed throughout the beekeeping season (April to September) to look for bee pests and diseases and provide training to beekeepers on good husbandry practices. The NBU’s inspectorate carries out a total of over 5,000 apiary inspections each year. Bee Health is a devolved matter. However, there are currently 10 bee inspectors who are contracted by APHA to carry out bee inspections and training in Wales. They are funded by the Welsh Government.

Beekeeping

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many beekeepers are registered on BeeBase.

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the Agriculture Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive on enabling beekeepers in Northern Ireland to be registered on BeeBase.

George Eustice: There are currently 38,297 beekeepers registered on the National Bee Unit’s voluntary database BeeBase. Defra continues to work closely with colleagues in the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland, (DAERA) on bee health. This includes previously exploring the option for Northern Ireland’s beekeepers to be able to register on BeeBase. As a devolved matter, the decision to join BeeBase is a matter for each devolved government to make. Beekeepers in Northern Ireland can benefit from the wealth of information on the public pages of BeeBase which provide advice and guidance on identification of bee pests and diseases and good beekeeping practices to keep their hives healthy.

Lighting

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to encourage local authorities to tackle light pollution and help protect dark skies in their areas.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government is taking a number of steps to encourage local authorities to address light pollution. The National Planning Policy Framework includes consideration of the impact of light pollution on local amenity, intrinsically dark landscapes and nature conservation. The Department for Communities and Local Government has also published additional guidance setting out when light pollution is relevant to planning, which the Government asks all local authorities to have regard to when considering planning decisions: http://planningguidance.communities.gov.uk/blog/guidance/light-pollution/. Other Government action includes encouragement for local authorities to introduce LED street lighting where it is economically feasible to do so, in order to reduce glare. Defra has also supported applications from National Parks, such as Exmoor and South Downs, to become International Dark Sky Parks or Reserves.

Lighting: Pollution Control

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to include measures to protect and improve England's dark skies in the Government's 25-year plan for the natural environment.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government remains committed to developing a long term, 25-year plan for the environment. Following the decision to leave the EU, we now have a fresh opportunity to shape a long-term vision for the type of environment we want in this country. As part of this we will be looking across the breadth of environmental challenges.Developing our approach to the environment will need to be informed by significant input from interested parties across many sectors. Further information on the next steps and timings will be provided in due course.

Environment Protection

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the Government's 25-year plan for the natural environment.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government remains committed to developing a long term, 25-year plan for the environment. Following the decision to leave the EU, we now have a fresh opportunity to shape a long-term vision for the type of environment we want in this country. Developing our approach to the environment will need to be informed by significant input from interested parties across many sectors. Further information on the next steps and timings will be provided in due course.

Air Pollution

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking in response to the findings of the World Health Organisation's report, entitled WHO Global Urban Ambient Air Pollution Database 2016, on levels of safe air quality being exceeded at (a) Port Talbot, (b) Stanford-le-Hope, (c) Glasgow, (d) London, (e) Scunthorpe, (f) Leeds, (g) Eastbourne, (h) Nottingham, (i) Southampton and (j) Oxford.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) 2016 update of its Urban Ambient Air Pollution database found 10 areas in the UK fail to meet WHO standards on particulate matter (PM): Port Talbot, Stanford-le-Hope, Glasgow, London, Scunthorpe, Leeds, Eastbourne, Nottingham, Southampton and Oxford. Latest compliance data show that the UK is meeting the EU daily and annual mean limits for PM concentrations. We continue to monitor compliance with PM limits and work in partnership with local authorities in these areas and across the UK to explore options to reduce PM concentrations further. Local authorities have a crucial role to play in improving air quality in their areas. Under the Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) system, local authorities are required to review and assess air quality in their areas and to designate Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) and put in place Air Quality Action Plans (AQAP) to address air pollution issues where national air quality objectives are not being met. The LAQM system encourages local authorities to focus on local hotspots and to deploy resources and actions quickly to achieve cleaner air in their area. There are currently 25 AQMAs declared in the Greater London area for PM exceedances. Both Glasgow and Scunthorpe have one AQMA each declared for PM exceedances. All these AQMAs were declared before 2011 and all are still in place, with relevant AQAPs to address the issue. There are currently no PM related AQMAs in Port Talbot, Stanford-le-Hope, Leeds, Eastbourne, Nottingham, Southampton and Oxford. The Government’s ambition is for the UK to have the best natural environment anywhere. Clean air is an essential part of that ambition. In December last year, the Government published the national air quality plan for reducing nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations through a new programme of Clean Air Zones in five cities in England, including Leeds, Nottingham and Southampton, as well as Birmingham and Derby along with the Ultra-Low Emission Zone in London. The plan combines targeted local and national measures and continued investment in clean technologies. These measures will also reduce PM concentrations. The Mayor of London is responsible for air quality standards in London. The Mayor provides the framework and guidance which London boroughs use to review and improve air quality within their areas. The new Mayor recently set out his plans to improve air quality in London, and on 5 July launched a formal policy consultation on a package of measures to tackle air pollution in London. In the UK, air quality is devolved and Defra works in close partnership with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure the UK remains compliant with EU air quality standards.

Food: Waste

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential (a) merits and (b) effectiveness of introducing voluntary targets to reduce food waste in (i) households, (ii) businesses and (iii) public bodies.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Targets within our voluntary agreements with businesses such as the Courtauld Commitment with the grocery sector have been very effective in helping businesses and households to reduce food waste, make associated financial savings and deliver carbon savings and other environmental benefits. Local authorities have also benefited through reduced household waste disposal costs. Household food waste has reduced by 15% between 2007 and 2012 despite an increase of 4% in the number of households in the UK. This reduction alone has avoided 18Mt of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. Supply chain food and packaging waste reduced by 7.4% between 2009 and 2012, with interim results for Courtauld 3 showing a further 3.2% reduction in food waste by 2014. We want to do more to build on the success of the voluntary approach. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) therefore launched Courtauld 2025 on 15 March this year. This is a commitment by stakeholders across the UK food and drink system – including hospitality and food service businesses, retailers, food manufacturers and local authorities - and includes a voluntary target of a 20% reduction in food and drink waste arising in the UK. According to WRAP’s analysis, reaching this level of reduction would deliver an estimated £20bn savings to the UK economy, including £4bn savings to businesses (with the majority of savings benefitting householders).

Farms: Tenants

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to encourage long-term tenancies in the agriculture sector.

George Eustice: A resilient tenant-farming sector is important for the future of food and farming. Farm Business Tenancies are flexible so they can meet a range of business needs from shorter to longer terms of tenure. The Government is committed to ongoing engagement with industry representatives to encourage sustainable models for land tenure including encouraging more long term tenancies for new entrants to the industry.

Air Pollution

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on how many times air quality safety levels were breached in (a) Port Talbot, (b) Stanford-le-Hope, (c) Glasgow, (d) London, (e) Scunthorpe, (f) Leeds, (g) Eastbourne, (h) Nottingham, (i) Southampton and (j) Oxford since 2011.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Defra uses both monitoring and modelling to assess air quality in the UK. Currently, 148 monitoring stations in the Automatic Urban Rural Network report near-real-time data on five key pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Information about these sites and modelled data is available on Defra’s UK-Air website. For the purposes of EU compliance reporting, the UK is divided into 43 zones. The relevant zone for each area is shown in the table below. Details for compliance in each year since 2011 can be found at: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/annualreport/index. Compliance reports for last year will be published in October. The Government’s ambition is for the UK to have the best natural environment anywhere. Clean air is an essential part of that ambition. In December last year, the Government published the national air quality plan for reducing nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations through a new programme of Clean Air Zones in five cities in England, including Leeds, Nottingham and Southampton, as well as Birmingham and Derby, along with the Ultra-Low Emission Zone in London. The plan combines targeted local and national measures and continued investment in clean technologies. These measures will also reduce PM concentrations. All 10 areas exceeded the annual mean limit value for NO2 in a number of years since 2011, and some areas also exceeded the hourly limit value. The latest available data for the 10 areas is shown in the table below.   LocationZone Year NO2 hourly limit value exceededYear NO2 annual mean value exceededPort TalbotSwansea Urban Area 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 (2011 – 2014, modelled roadside exceedances in Port Talbot)Port TalbotSouth Wales2014,2015,20162011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015Stanford-le-HopeEastern2016 (Luton)2011, 2012, 2013, 2014GlasgowGlasgow Urban Area20112011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015LondonGreater London Urban Area2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,20162011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015ScunthorpeYorkshire & Humberside 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 (2011 background exceedance in Scunthorpe)LeedsWest Yorkshire Urban Area 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 (2011 – 2014, modelled roadside exceedances in Leeds)EastbourneSouth East2011,20122011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015NottinghamNottingham Urban Area 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014SouthamptonSouthampton Urban Area 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014Oxford South East2011,20122011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 (2011 – 2014, modelled roadside exceedances in Oxford)  Latest compliance data shows that the UK is meeting the EU daily and annual mean limits for PM concentrations. There were exceedances of the daily mean limit value for PM10 in 2011 and 2012 in London. There were exceedances in the annual mean limit value for Benzo [a] Pyrene (B[a]P) in all years between 2011 and 2014 in Port Talbot and 2011 to 2015 in Scunthorpe. There are action plans in place for B[a]P in all affected areas. Details can be found at: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/bap-nickel-measures.

Air Pollution: Ribble Valley

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's projections are for levels of air pollution in the Ribble Valley over the next five years.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The latest projections for Ribble Valley Borough Council were undertaken as part of the analysis carried out during the development of the Air Quality Plans (published in December last year). For the purposes of air quality assessment, the UK is divided into 43 zones. The Ribble Valley is within the North West & Merseyside zone and the plan for the North West & Merseyside zone can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486209/aq-plan-2015-north-west-and-merseyside-uk0033.pdf. The latest projections for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) for the Ribble Valley are shown below. These projections used a base year of 2013. It shows the maximum modelled concentration in the 2013 base year is predicted to decrease by 2020 for all three pollutants. These maximum concentrations are well below the relevant annual mean limit values for all three pollutants. 2013 Base Year NO22020 Projection NO22013Base year PM102020 Projection PM102013 Base Year PM2.52020 Projection PM2.5Overall max concentration (ugm-3)231716151110The projections for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are available here: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/no2ten/2015-no2-projections-from-2013-data.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Attendance Allowance

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what savings his Department expects to accrue to the public purse as a result of transferring attendance allowance funding to councils; and whether those savings will be retained centrally or used for other benefits expenditure.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Government announced in December that it would consider giving more responsibility to councils in England to support older people with care needs – including people who, under the current system, would be supported through Attendance Allowance.Any new responsibilities would be matched by the transfer of the equivalent spending power - this is a reform policy, not a savings measure. We are not considering any changes for existing Attendance Allowance claimants and, should devolution proceed, everyone already claiming Attendance Allowance at the point of devolution will continue to receive it.The Government is currently consulting on the implementation of commitments on 100% business rates retention for councils in England. The consultation seeks views on options for devolving new responsibilities to local government as part of those reforms, and this is one of the options about which we are consulting. The consultation document is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/self-sufficient-local-government-100-business-rates-retention

Sleeping Rough

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the definition of statutory homelessness in preventing rough sleeping.

Mr Marcus Jones: The homelessness legislation (part 7 Housing Act 1996) provides a strong safety net for all those who are vulnerable and homeless through no fault of their own. Homelessness is defined at section 175 of the Act. Broadly speaking somebody is statutorily homeless if they do not have accommodation that they have a legal right to occupy, which is accessible and physically available to them (and their household) and which it would be reasonable for them to continue to live in. It would not be reasonable for someone to continue to live in their home, for example, if that was likely to lead to violence against them (or a member of their family).We have protected homelessness prevention funding for local authorities, totalling £315 million by 2020. In doing so, we expect local authorities to meet their statutory duty to provide advice and assistance to all those that approach them for help. Since 2010, this funding has allowed local authorities to prevent more than a million households from becoming homeless. We are determined to ensure that we prevent more people from becoming homeless in the first place so we are working with local authorities, homelessness charities and across departments to consider options to prevent more people from becoming homeless.We have also increased central funding to tackle homelessness to £139 million over the next four years, which will include targeted funding for rough sleeping. This includes a new £10 million fund to support and scale-up initiatives to prevent and reduce rough sleeping, and a £10 million Social Impact Bond to support the most entrenched rough sleepers off the streets.

Neighbourhood Development Plans

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on how to take into account a neighbourhood planning process being underway when considering making their own applications for housing on sites that will be affected by that neighbourhood plan.

Gavin Barwell: The procedures for dealing with development by local authorities are contained in the Town and Country Planning General Regulations 1992. A local authority’s development proposals, like those of other persons applying for planning permission, must be decided in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.Once brought into force, a neighbourhood plan becomes part of the development plan for the area; an emerging neighbourhood plan may be a material consideration. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that the weight of emerging plan policies will depend on the stage of the plan, the extent of unresolved objections and the degree of consistency with national policy. It is for the decision maker in each case to determine what is a material consideration and what weight to give to it.

Shops: Closures

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to prevent shop closures in town centres.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce the decline of high streets in UK towns and cities.

Mr Marcus Jones: We are committed to ensuring that high streets remain at the heart of their community and as a Government we have taken significant actions to help high streets thrive through a range of targeted tax breaks, sensible planning changes and measures to ensure fairer parking for motorists.At the Budget, we announced the biggest ever cut in business rates in England – worth £6.7 billion over the next five years, cutting business rates for all ratepayers, and meaning 600,000 of the smallest businesses won’t have to pay business rates. We have also given over £18 million to fund successful initiatives such “Love Your Local Market” and the “Great British High Street Competition”, and have recently announced a digital pilot programme in Gloucestershire, to support town centres and SMEs to compete in the digital era.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 9 November 2015 to Question 14704, what plans his Department has to review and enhance the powers contained in the Public Order Act 1994 to award local authorities greater ability to remove illegal traveller camps without recourse to the courts.

Gavin Barwell: Local authorities and the police have a range of strong powers that enable them to take action against unauthorised encampments and developments. As my predecessor outlined in the Answer to the Hon. Member dated 9 November 2015 (Question 14704), a summary of these powers was sent to all council leaders, Police and Crime Commissioners and Police Chief Constables in March 2015:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/418139/150326_Dealing_with_illegal_and_unauthorised_encampments_-_final.pdfThe Government is open to suggestions for how enforcement could be strengthened and continues to keep this issue under review.

Social Services

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the levels of demand on social care services.

Mr Marcus Jones: We recognise that demand for social care is growing and this was a consideration in last year's Spending Review.The Spending Review settlement provides up to £3.5 billion of new support for adult social care by 2019/20 - greater than the £2.9 billion that the Local Government Association estimated was needed for adult social care in their Spending Review submission. The vast majority of councils have already taken advantage of the opportunity to introduce a new Social Care Precept, which allows them to increase council tax by 2% above the existing threshold. By the end of the Parliament, this will raise up to £2 billion that must be spent exclusively on adult social care. In addition, by 2019/20 an extra £1.5 billion per year will be available for inclusion in the Better Care Fund.Taken together, the Social Care Precept and the Better Care Fund will mean local government has access to the funding needed to increase social care spending in real terms by the end of the Parliament.

Carbon Monoxide: Alarms

Mr David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department had with the Scottish Government on provisions in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 which require landlords to install carbon monoxide alarms to all properties that contain fixed-combustion burning appliances; and if he will make a statement.

Gavin Barwell: Housing is a devolved issue and therefore the shaping and implementation of all relevant Scottish Housing legislation is at the discretion of the Scottish Government. There is regular dialogue between the four UK administrations, and we will be in further contact with the Scottish Government when we begin the planned review, for October 2017, of the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm requirements on private landlords in England.

Floods: Housing

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of houses in Lancashire are built on flood plains.

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of houses in the UK are built on flood plains.

Gavin Barwell: National planning policy is clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains. Where development is necessary in a flood risk area and there are no suitable sites available in areas with a lower probability of flooding, it should be safe and not increase flood risk elsewhere. The policy is underpinned by planning guidance which is clear: local councils must consider the strict tests in policy that protect people and property from flooding, and where these tests are not met, development should not be allowed.Between 2013 and 2015 8% of newly created residential addresses in England were in the National Flood Zone 3. DCLG Land Use Change Statistics cover only England.Estimates for individual local authorities are provided in Live Table 321 of Land Use Change Statistics, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-onland-use-change-statistics

Wales Office

M4: Wales

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions his Department has had with members of the National Assembly for Wales on the proposed Blue Route M4 relief road.

Guto Bebb: The M4 is one of Wales’ vital arteries and an important strategic route across Britain. It has been clear for some time that congestion on the M4 corridor around Newport is damaging the Welsh economy, and that an upgrade is urgently required. The Secretary of State for Wales met with the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure following his appointment to discuss options for upgrading the M4. The Welsh Government has announced that an independent public inquiry to examine its preferred route for the M4 relief road will commence in the Autumn. I look forward to seeing the inquiry’s findings and to a positive outcome to the benefit of both businesses and commuters.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Employment: Vetting

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will conduct a public inquiry into the practice of employment blacklisting; and if he will make a statement.

Margot James: Blacklisting is an unacceptable practice. The Government has to date, seen no evidence of this practice recurring since the introduction of the Blacklists Regulations in 2010. However, we understand the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is currently investigating some allegations of blacklisting. We will be paying close attention to the outcome of these investigations, and once they are known we will consider whether any further action needs to be taken as a result. Individuals who believe they have new evidence of blacklisting should provide this to the ICO so that it can decide whether there are grounds for an investigation using their powers under the Data Protection Act.

Cabinet Office

Migration

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department plans to publish its most recent data on migration to and from the UK.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter to Member - Data on Migration
(PDF Document, 68.9 KB)

Voting Rights: British Nationals Abroad

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government plans to allow all British citizens who live abroad but pay income tax in the UK to vote in UK elections regardless of the length of time they have been resident abroad.

Chris Skidmore: As set out in our manifesto, the Government will bring forward legislation to remove the outdated 15 year time limit on overseas voting rights.The Government’s proposals will make no change to the extent to which taxation is the basis for enfranchisement in the UK.

Living Wage

Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of people in (a) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency, (b) the Liverpool City Region and (c) England are paid less than the Living Wage Foundation's living wage.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter to Member - Living Wage
(PDF Document, 239.33 KB)

UK Withdrawal from EU

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the (a) mechanisms and (b) timescales are for securing input into his Department's work on negotiations for withdrawal from the EU from (i) non-governmental organisations and civil society, (ii) opposition political parties and (iii) other interest groups; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Davis: The Government is committed to listening to all those with a view on the UK's withdrawal from the European Union; Parliament, the devolved administrations, NGOs, and other groups will all have important ideas to contribute. The new Department for Exiting the European Union will lead this engagement.

Malnutrition

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many deaths were recorded for which (a) malnutrition was listed as the underlying cause of death and (b) malnutrition or effects of hunger were mentioned on the death certificate in each of the last 10 years in each (i) English region, (ii) parliamentary constituency and (iii) age group.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



Excel Attachment for Member - Malnutritution
(Excel SpreadSheet, 170 KB)




UKSA Letter to Member - Malnutritution
(PDF Document, 118.97 KB)

Civil Servants: Recruitment

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the public purse of additional staff to be recruited from outside the civil service to work on preparations for negotiation of the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

Mr David Davis: A new Department for Exiting the European Union has been established by the Prime Minister. The staffing requirements for the new department, and their costs, are now being identified.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of electoral registration arrangements for UK nationals abroad in (a) general and (b) Germany in advance of the EU referendum.

Chris Skidmore: Online registration has made the application process for overseas electors easier than ever before. Between the start of the EU referendum campaign on 18 April and the extended registration deadline on 9 June over 151,000 overseas electors submitted an application to register to vote.The Cabinet Office does not hold data on overseas elector applications by country.

EU Nationals: Lancashire

Julie Cooper: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people from other EU countries are resident in (a) Burnley and (b) Lancashire.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter to Member - EU Residents
(PDF Document, 114.03 KB)

British Nationals Abroad: Electoral Register

Robert Neill: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to ensure overseas electors receive ballot papers in time to vote in elections.

Chris Skidmore: In the last Parliament, the Government amended legislation to make it easier for overseas electors and Armed Forces personnel to vote by post at elections and referendums in the UK. The electoral timetable was lengthened and the restriction on issuing postal votes ahead of the postal vote application deadline removed.We continue to keep under review the practical operation of the postal voting process and meet with electoral administrators and their suppliers to identify ways to provide a more effective service, including expediting the delivery of postal votes to overseas electors.

Atos Healthcare: Standards

Melanie Onn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the performance of Atos in delivery of services under government contracts.

Ben Gummer: As requested by PAC, the Cabinet Office has undertaken a full review of all Atos contracts with central Government with an annual spend over £10 million in the fiscal year 2015-16, and of their relationships as a supplier to the Crown.The Cabinet Office will write to the Public Accounts Committee with the findings of the review in the summer 2016.

Cabinet Office: Equality

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to improve the gender balance of the Cabinet Office Board.

Ben Gummer: Cabinet Office has an ambition to ensure that the male/female ratio at senior levels is representative of the UK society as a whole. Cabinet Office has published a target within the department’s Single Departmental Plan to ensure that 50% of applicants for Senior Civil Service posts are female, by the end of the term of the parliament. Cabinet Office operates a meritocratic recruitment system for internal and external promotions, therefore an increase in female applicants will support improved female representation at SCS level and in pipelines to Board level.

Cabinet Office: Pay

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to table 1.4 of his Department's 2015-16 Annual Report and Accounts, what the reasons are for the increase in his salary between 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to table 1.4 of his Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2015-16, what the reasons are for the increase in the salary of the Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal from 2014-15 to 2015-16.

Ben Gummer: The Cabinet Office annual accounts do not state an increase in the full year salary of the Minister for the Cabinet Office. The salary was £31,680 for both 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 financial years. The salary of Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP did increase from £31,680 to £67,505 when he was promoted to be a Cabinet Minister as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.On appointment the Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal was paid a salary at the Minister of State level as there are legislative restrictions on the number of Cabinet Minister salaries that can be paid. Following the General Election her salary was increased to the Cabinet Minister level.

House of Commons Commission

Members: Security

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Rt. hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, what recent assessment the Commission has made of the security arrangements for screening mail received by hon. Members of each House of Parliament.

Tom Brake: A procurement process for a new contract for screening mail received by hon. Members is currently underway. A full review of the security arrangements and contract specification forms part of that process. This review is based on advice from the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) as well as on a national standard specification for mail screening (PAS 97:2015).Following an incident, the Parliamentary Security Department has recently revised and reissued guidance to Members and staff on what to do following receipt of a suspicious letter or package.We do not comment in public on details of security arrangements. The Deputy Director of Security (Delivery) would be happy to discuss these arrangements in more detail with the hon. Member.

Department of Health

Breast Cancer

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he and his officials have had with Public Health England about the collection of data on secondary breast cancer in (a) the West Midlands and (b) England.

David Mowat: Ministers, officials, Public Health England (PHE) and breast cancer charities are in ongoing discussions about secondary breast cancer data. The National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS), which is part of PHE, is supporting the direct reporting of recurrence data by all hospital trusts, as part of the Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset (COSD). Since 2013 there has been the ability to report breast cancer recurrences in COSD, and in 2015 this was expanded to include all cancer recurrences, but these data are not yet being fully collected and submitted by all trusts. NCRAS is helping trusts improve their reporting by visiting, providing reporting guidance, and by giving rapid feedback on the number of recurrences they have submitted to NCRAS. To further support this work NCRAS is currently preparing to share new provider-level data for the whole of England on the data completeness of recurrence reporting within trusts.

NHS: Staff

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on workforce numbers in the NHS of the UK withdrawing from the EU.

Mr Philip Dunne: No immediate assessment has been made of the potential effect on workforce numbers in the National Health Service of the United Kingdom withdrawing from the European Union. As we plan a new relationship with the EU, this Government will continue to ensure the NHS is able to recruit and retain the workforce required to provide high quality care.

Heart Diseases

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 23 May 2016 to Question 37122, on variations in access to transcatheter interventions for heart valve disease, whether the next iteration of the NHS England service specifications and policy for the surgical and interventional treatment of heart valve disease will take into account (a) the need to commission for a growing patient population, (b) anticipated doubling in the over-65 population in the UK by 2050 and (c) lower levels of transcatheter interventions performed in the UK compared to European comparator countries.

Nicola Blackwood: NHS England’s policy development process includes assessment of current published evidence nationally and internationally and will review population projections for up to five years. Decisions to set commissioning criteria for which patients will most likely benefit from the intervention will be based on a range of clinical, academic and financial information and a proposition will be put forward through the NHS England prioritisation process. Within the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) development process, NHS England accepts that there is an ageing population and it will review all available evidence including the encouraging results of the TAVI trials and consider the options around the best use of National Health Service resources. A policy proposition will be produced as part of the 2016/17 work programme.

Health: Equality

Natalie McGarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of welfare reform on health inequalities in (a) Glasgow, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK.

Nicola Blackwood: The policy responsibility for welfare reform sits with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The Department of Health (DH) has not made a separate assessment of the effect of welfare reform on health inequalities in England or Scotland. It is for the Scottish Government to assess the impact of welfare reform in Scotland. Although no assessment has been made in England, DWP has engaged across government on its proposals for welfare reform. DH has been involved in discussions on the introduction of Universal Credit and its impact on health inequalities for programmes such as Healthy Start and Help with Health Costs. Healthy Start is a United Kingdom-wide statutory benefit, funded by DH, which aims to provide additional support to improve the diets of low income pregnant women and families with children under the age of four years. Currently, regulations are being put in place which will enable the scheme to function under Universal Credit. An equality analysis, which will include a consideration of the impact on health inequalities, will be published shortly. Help with Health Costs is a set of arrangements which provide help with the cost of a range of National Health Services for example free NHS prescriptions or NHS dental treatment. On 1 November 2015, DH put in place criteria to determine entitlement to Help with Health Costs to those in receipt of Universal Credit. An equality analysis was produced to inform these changes, outlining the potential impact, including on health inequalities, on groups affected by the change from the previous benefits and tax credits exemption arrangements to the new criteria for Universal Credit exemption. A copy of the equality analysis is attached.



Equality Analysis
(PDF Document, 201.6 KB)

Antibiotics: Drug Resistance

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what role he plans for the UK in discussing antimicrobial resistance at the G20 summit in September 2016.

Nicola Blackwood: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is growing, presenting huge costs to both society and the global economy – it is estimated that AMR will have a cumulative cost of $100 trillion by 2050. One of the main issues driving the increase in AMR is a market failure preventing enough new antibiotic drugs from getting to market. The United Kingdom sees the G20 as the best forum to discuss this economic issue and take action. The UK is calling for the G20 to look at how it can put in place innovative financing mechanisms to reinvigorate the antimicrobial development pipeline and help rectify this market failure.

Everolimus

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether NHS England plans to publish an in-year policy review on the use of everolimus to treat subependymal giant cell astrocytoma.

David Mowat: On 11 July NHS England set out its provisional investment decisions for specialised services, the results of its annual process, based on expect clinical advice, for deciding which new treatments and services it will make available to patients. Everolimus for subependymal giant cell astrocytoma associated with tuberous sclerosis complex was one of four proposals with the lowest cost/benefit priority. The policy will be considered again next year in the relative prioritisation process for 2017/18.

NHS: Drugs

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons there is no appeal process to NHS England's prioritisation mechanism for the commissioning of new drugs.

David Mowat: Both the prioritisation methods and the individual clinical policies which go through it have all been the subject of extensive stakeholder engagement and consultation. However, NHS England has a complaints process which can be used to raised issues or concerns around decisions made by NHS England. More information on this can be found at this address: https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/complaint/

NHS: Drugs

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what account NHS England has to take of cost effectiveness and the effects of costs when prioritising the commissioning of new drugs.

David Mowat: In considering policies placed before it, the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) will follow the published procedure which was subject to recent public consultation.The procedure followed can be found here: https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/investment-decisions/supporting_documents/consultationguide.pdf Policies are first grouped according to clinical advice by CPAG into three categories of patient benefit, and then three categories of cost. This methodology allows for the proposals to be split into five levels of cost/benefit. Policies with the greatest clinical benefit and lowest cost will attract the highest priority recommendation (level 1), while those with lowest clinical benefit and high cost will attract the lowest (level 5). These recommendations are then used to inform commissioning decisions by the Specialised Commissioning Oversight Group. These are ratified by the Specialised Services Commissioning Committee of the NHS England board.

Medical Records: Data Protection

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether NHS patients are able to opt out of data being held by their GP being sent to the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Nicola Blackwood: Currently, patients can ask their general practitioner (GP) to register two kinds of objections: - Personal confidential information about them leaving the GP practice for purposes beyond their direct care (Type 1); and- Personal confidential information being disseminated from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) aimed at purposes beyond their direct care (Type 2). Since January 2016, the HSCIC has been upholding Type 2 Objections. On 6 July 2016, The National Data Guardian for Health and Care published an independent review of Data Security, Consent and Opt-Outs: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-data-security-consent-and-opt-outs This proposed a new simpler and more easily understood model enabling people to object to health and care information about them being used for purposes beyond their direct care. However the review does not recommend any changes to existing arrangements until there has been a full consultation on the proposed new consent/opt-out model. The Department is currently consulting on taking forward the independent review’s recommendations, including the proposed consent/opt-out model. The consultation closes on 7 September 2016 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/new-data-security-standards-for-health-and-social-care Any patient who does not want the personal data held in their GP record to be shared with the HSCIC will have their objection respected.

Mental Health: Children in Care

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on whether the Government plans to implement the recommendations of the Education Committee's Fourth report, Session 2015-16, HC 481, on the mental health and well-being of looked-after children.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on the recommendation of the Education Committee in its Fourth report of the 2015-16 Session, on Mental health and wellbeing of looked-after children that all looked-after children, should have a full mental health assessment carried out by a qualified mental health professional.

Nicola Blackwood: The Government response to the Education Committee report into the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Looked-After Children is being jointly drafted by the Department of Health and Department for Education. Ministers in both departments are assessing the recommendations in their entirety, and the joint response, expected to be published after the summer recess, reflects the importance that both departments place on collaboration to meet the needs of this vulnerable group. The Department of Health and Department for Education have already established an Expert Working Group to consider how to improve the mental health and well-being of looked-after children, children adopted from care, care leavers and children leaving care under a special Guardianship Order or Child Arrangements Order. The Expert Working Group will include a focus on assessment and identification of mental health issues and difficulties. The group, co-chaired by Professor Peter Fonagy, Freud Memorial Professor of Psychoanalysis, University College London, and Alison O’Sullivan, former president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, first met on 11 July. Meeting notes, Terms of Reference and a work programme will shortly be available on the website of the Social Care Institute for Excellence http://www.scie.org.uk/ who are co-ordinating the work of this group.

Mental Illness: Care Homes

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what requirements there are for NHS trusts to share with (a) the Care Quality Commission and (b) other regulators the placing of mental health patients in care homes.

Nicola Blackwood: National Health Service trusts are not required to notify the Care Quality Commission (CQC) or other regulators about placing patients in care homes, including those with mental health diagnoses. The CQC inspection regime of health and care providers, including care homes, includes assessment of how well patients’ needs are being met, which includes their mental health needs.

Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2016 to Question 42420, on what dates Ministers of his Department met Ministers from other government departments formally to discuss the NHS England Five Year Forward View published in February 2016.

Nicola Blackwood: Ministers and officials have liaised regularly with other Government departments in relation to the independent Mental Health Taskforce’s Five Year Forward View for Mental Health. We will publish an implementation plan later this year to set out how we are progressing the Taskforce’s recommendations.

Autism

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that the updated 2017-18 deliverables under the Government's Mandate to NHS England include specific actions to reduce autism diagnosis waiting times.

David Mowat: The current mandate for 2016-17 was published in December 2015, and sets out NHS England’s objectives and budget to 2020 to provide stability and support the National Health Service to plan more effectively to deliver our long-term aims. The Secretary of State must publish a mandate each year, which allows the Government to ensure it remains current and to agree new annual deliverables. The Department will consult on any significant changes that may be necessary, including to the mental health, learning disability and autism objective and deliverables. The mandate for 2017-18 will be published and laid before Parliament in the autumn.

Tuberculosis: Liverpool City Region

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many incidents of tuberculosis were recorded in (a) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency and (b) the Liverpool City Region in each year since 2010.

Nicola Blackwood: There were no tuberculosis (TB) incidents between 2010 and 2015 in Liverpool Wavertree constituency and Liverpool City Region. In communicable disease control an incident refers to a case that is considered infectious to others, i.e. if a patient is either a healthcare worker, or in a profession/service that would likely lead to exposure of vulnerable individuals, or if they have been attending a closed setting such as an educational institution, work place, and prison whilst being potentially infectious with a communicable disease such as TB. A definite TB case is one that meets the clinical case definition or is laboratory confirmed (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and identified by a healthcare worker (clinician).